Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to volume adjustments, and particularly to an electronic control apparatus and method capable of automatically adjusting the volume of a device.
Description of the Prior Art
Automatic volume control technology is gaining popularity for use with various types of sound-emitting electronic equipment such as televisions and audio equipment. The function of adjusting the sound volume is the one used most frequently in these electronic devices. There are many scenarios under which a user may be required to adjust the volume output, for example, of the television to maintain the volume within a desired range and to compensate for changes in listening conditions.
A digital television is often switched to play programs of different channels, each of which may provide varying volume levels. As the number of television channels has increased, so have the inconsistencies in the volume levels. Listeners must constantly readjust the volume on their remote controllers to maintain consistent volume levels as they switch among television channels. Listeners often experience problems with spikes in volume across programming and commercials. Even content within the same program can vary in level, often dramatically, requiring even more volume control adjustments. Thus, while the burden is significantly lessened through the use of a remote control, a burden is still placed on the user to continually adjust the volume output of the television to maintain the volume within a desired listening range.
Conventional audio level control devices provide for adjusting the audio level of a device such as radio and television in response to changes in ambient sound levels. A microprocessor monitors the ambient sound produced by an audio device using a microphone to determine average low and high audio thresholds. When the ambient sound level is outside the threshold range, the microprocessor transmits volume control signals using an infrared emitter to the audio device to sustain a user-defined average audio level. Even so, this apparatus fails to maintain the user's preferred volume level across all channels, all program sources, and all content. The automatic audio level control device cannot adjust the volume on a current television channel based on the volume of previous channels to ensure volume consistency. Moreover, such an apparatus is not adaptable to provide the option for the user to select a preferred volume level and further fails to program the remote controller to the user's preset volume level.
Another approach describes an automatic remote control device and method which compensates for ambient, environmental noise changes and sudden changes in program material volume. The microprocessor located in the remote control device utilizes the received sound level and the total received noise level to calculate a reference sound-to-noise ratio. If a volume up/down control is pressed by the operator, the remote control device sends the appropriate signal to the sound-emitting device to increase or decrease the sound level, and a new reference sound-to-noise ratio is calculated. If the sound-to-noise ratio has changed, then the remote control device sends the appropriate signal to the sound-emitting device to adjust the sound level so that the original sound-to-noise ratio is maintained. Also, the user may need to either enter the channel number or press the mute button of the remote controller to maintain the unexpected volume variations while viewing a television program. Such a remote controller does not include a recall button to enables the user to maintain the same average volume level while switching between two channels. Moreover, this method does not possess any defined buttons to adjust the volume to preset levels.
Yet another approach discloses a volume adjusting method for channel switching of a digital television. The method comprises comparing a first remembered volume used for a first channel with a second remembered volume used for a second channel, while a digital television receives a first command for switching from the first channel to the second channel. The digital television using the first remembered volume in advance to play a first program of the second channel, while the first remembered volume is not equal to the second remembered volume. The problem with this method is that it does not enable the user to create a user preferred adult censored word list such that the volume automatically adjusts to mute when such content airs in a pre-recorded program. Moreover, such an apparatus is not adaptable for the user to program the visual display to censor text for adult users to read on the television screen, while the audio is muted from younger viewers who are not yet able to read such censored content. The existing prior art devices fail to satisfactorily accommodate these competing requirements.
Therefore, there remains a need for a remote controller and a remote control system for automatically adjusting the volume on a current television channel based on the volume of previous channels to ensure a volume consistency. Such a volume adjusting apparatus may provide a recall button to enables the user to maintain the same average volume while switching between two channels without entering the channel number or pressing the mute button. Such an apparatus may include multiple recall buttons, wherein each recall button is preset at a different volume level. This device may continuously monitor and adjust the audio to maintain the listener's preferred volume level across all channels, all program sources, and all content. Further, such a device may enable the user to create an adult censored word list such that the volume automatically adjusts to mute when such content airs in a pre-recorded program. Such an apparatus may be adaptable for the user to program the visual display of the censored text for adult users to read on the television screen, while the audio is muted from younger viewers. The present embodiment overcomes prior art shortcomings by accomplishing these critical objectives.